Patrons of Cornell's Guest Chef Series will be able to get a taste of history when John Doherty, executive chef of the Waldorf-Astoria who has prepared meals for state dinners hosted by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, recreates these historic dinners for the public March 3. Doherty's visit to campus opens the 1996 Guest Chef Series, sponsored by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

The public also will have the opportunity to appreciate the talents of Roger Vergé, chef and owner of the Restaurant Du Moulin de Mugins in France, who will present dinner March 31, and Madeleine Kamman, director of the School for American Chefs-Beringer Vineyards, who will don the chef's apron April 14.

Reservations are still available for the March 3 and April 14 sittings; the March 31 dinner is sold out. Dinner is $60 per person (an optional wine package is available) and is served at 6:30 p.m. in Banfi's in the Statler Hotel on the Cornell campus. Individuals attending any two dinners will receive a complimentary autographed cookbook featuring the recipes presented. For reservations, call 607-254-2606.

The Guest Chef Series is part of a course on specialty food and beverage operations for students interested in careers in the hotel food and beverage industry.

Course instructor Barbara Lang said the series involves students in virtually every aspect of special-event planning and food preparation. "Students order all ingredients according to the chef's instructions, as well develop the recipes and plan a schedule for food preparation," she said.

Another challenge for students, said Lang, is the requirement that Banfi's, the Statler Hotel restaurant, be transformed to reflect the atmosphere of the chef's home restaurant. "While we can't repaint the walls and order new furnishings," said Lang, "students do an admirable job creating menus and place settings that recreate surroundings familiar to the guest chefs."

One of the most rewarding experiences for students, however, comes long after dessert is served. "That's when students have the time to sit down with the chef and talk about the industry," she said. "The Guest Chef Series provides students with a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience, while offering the public a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience," Lang noted.